Albert King - Blues At Sunrise (1973)

01. Don't Burn Down The Bridge ('Cause You Might Wanna Come Back Across) (Jones/Wells) – 4:31
02. I Believe To My Soul (Ray Charles) – 4:56
03. For The Love Of A Woman (Don Nix) – 3:47
04. Blues At Sunrise (Albert King) – 10:18
05. I'll Play The Blues For You (Jerry Beach) – 6:36
06. Little Brother (Make A Way) (Bush/Jones/Smith) – 5:45
07. Roadhouse Blues (Albert King) – 10:05


- Albert King - electric guitar and vocals
- Norville Hodges - trumpet
- Wilbur Tompson - trumpet
- Rick Watson - tenor saxophone
- James Washington - organ
- Donald Kinsey - electric guitar
- Bill Rennie - bass
- Sam King – drums

This concert was released after the return of Stax Records in the 1980s as a part of Fantasy Records. The initial release was the lost tape of Albert recording with John Mayall and his Jazz-Fusion band in California. This was put out as the "Lost Session". After another look in the newly recovered Stax vault (no pun intended!)tapes this concert was found. Two tracks had been previously released on vinyl as "Live at Montreux". This CD has most of the remaining part of this July 1, 1973 Montreux concert. The balance of this set can be found on the follow up release "Blues At Sunset" (1993).

This set is really different. Albert has a great band (with a subdued horn section). He also has Donald Kinsey (of the Kinsey Report) on guitar, who like Jimmy King, he calls his "grandson" (he liked to do that). Albert's playing is heavy, full and forceful. He obviously plays the entire set on his neck pickup and produced a fat sound unlike that on any other King recording. This is very similar to the sound he gets on the 2004 DVD release "Albert King: Live in Sweden". The title track "Blues at Sunrise" is a reworking of one of his very first King Records recordings. He has done this tune many times but this version is really different sounding. It also shows King at the beginning of the 1970s until the 1990s when he got the reputation of being difficult to work with. He typically berates the sound man in the middle of the tune.

I saw him in Australia in 1990 and he stopped the concert in the middle of "Kansas City", only his second tune, and rearranged the speakers on stage while the audience waited twenty minutes. He continued to play until he felt the Bass player wasn't holding up his end and PULLED OUT HIS LEAD IN MID-SONG! Oh Albert!

The tunes are on this recording are great, as they always are at Montreux. The production is well done and edited. Highlights of the performance are the Ray Charles (RIP) tune "I Believe To My Soul". His solos in this tune are awesome, what phrasing! "Roadhouse Blues" is a great extended tune that really gives the feel of an Albert King concert. This tune was released as a self-titled cassette tape in the 1990s, now very rare. "Little Brother, Make A Way" is the most unique cut on this CD. It features the only other and only ever live version of this track from "I'll Play the Blues For You" which was his current LP available when this concert was recorded. It has Albert singing soulfully without the second voice track of the LP and doing a great guitar solo as well. --- Perry Celestino (Tahmoor, NSW Australia)

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